1. Field of the Invention
present invention relates generally to medical puncturing devices, commonly referred to as lancets, used to take blood samples from patients and, more specifically, to a medical puncturing device that ensures sterility before use and safe and secure disposal after use.
2. Description of Related Art
Medical puncturing devices are used in the medical field for puncturing the skin of a patient to obtain a capillary blood sample from the patient. Certain diseases, such as diabetes, require that the patient's blood be tested on a regular basis to monitor, for example, the patient's blood sugar levels. Additionally, test kits, such as cholesterol test kits, often require a blood sample for analysis. The blood collection procedure usually involves pricking a finger or other suitable body part in order to obtain the blood sample. Typically, the amount of blood needed for such tests is relatively small and a small puncture wound or incision normally provides a sufficient amount of blood for these tests.
Various medical puncturing devices are commercially available to hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices, and the like, as well as to individual consumers. Such devices typically include a sharp-pointed member such as a needle, or a sharp-edged member such as blade, that is used to make a quick puncture wound or incision in the patient's skin in order to provide a small outflow of blood. It is often physiologically and psychologically difficult for many people to prick their own finger with a hand-held needle or blade. As a result, medical puncturing devices have evolved into automatic devices that puncture or cut the skin of the patient upon the actuation of a triggering mechanism. In some devices, the needle or blade is kept in a standby position until it is triggered by the user, who may be a medical professional in charge of drawing blood from the patient, or the patient himself or herself. Upon triggering, the needle or blade punctures or cuts the skin of the patient, for example on the finger. Often, a spring is incorporated into the device to provide the “automatic” force necessary to puncture or cut the skin of the patient.
It is of the utmost importance in the medical field that such medical puncturing devices or lancets are in a sterile condition before use. Today, generally without exception, medical puncturing devices or lancets are manufactured and packaged in a sterilized condition before they are distributed to medical professionals and members of the public who have a need for such devices. The sterile packaging maintains the sterility of the device, ensuring that the surrounding environment does not contaminate it until use. In addition, it is also of increasing importance that the user or another person does not come into contact with the needle or blade after use of the device. With the concern over blood-borne diseases, medical professionals are required to take great care with medical devices that come into contact with the blood of patients. Thus, an important aspect of medical puncturing device/lancet design is concerned with preventing the needle or blade of the device from wounding the user or another person after the blood sample is drawn from the patient. Once used, the needle or blade should be shielded to prevent the needle or blade from wounding the user or another person handling the device. Moreover, the medical puncturing device or lancet should be disposable to eliminate the chances of disease transmission due to the needle or blade being used on more than one person. In this regard, the medical puncturing device or lancet should ideally be designed for one firing, and have safety features to prevent reuse.
Advances have been made in recent years to increase safety in operating and handling used medical puncturing devices. For example, medical puncturing devices are currently available which are single shot devices that feature automatic ejection and retraction of the puncturing or cutting element from and into the device. Examples of such medical puncturing devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,432,120; 6,248,120; 5,755,733; and 5,540,709.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,120 to Teo discloses a lancet assembly that includes a lancet holder, which contains a spring-loaded lancet structure. The spring-loaded lancet structure includes a single spring that effects the ejection and retraction of a lancet needle upon the triggering of the structure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,120 to Wyszogrodzki discloses a puncturing device comprised of a housing, shielding portion, a piston with a puncturing tip, and drive and return springs that eject and retract the piston, respectively, upon the breakage of internal wing elements in the housing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,733 to Morita discloses a lancet assembly that includes a combined holder and lancet structure. The lancet structure includes a lancet member with a puncturing tip and a compressible spring member that causes the lancet member to puncture the skin of a patient upon actuation of a pair of actuating arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,709 to Ramel discloses a lancet device that includes a housing enclosing a slidable trigger, which is used to trigger a compressed spring that powers a piercing lancet member to pierce the skin of a patient. The housing includes a pair of internal fingers that engage the body of the lancet member, which are then released of engagement with the lancet member body by axial force applied by the user to the slidable trigger. Other medical puncturing devices or lancets known in the art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,869,249 and 4,817,603. The devices disclosed in these references include a cap that is used to protect a needle or to keep the needle sterile.